Such sealing arrangements are typically used in radial rolling contact bearings, in particular wheel bearings, and are always required when two radially opposed rolling contact bearing components which can be moved relative to each other have to be sealed.
It is problematic that both sealing rings cannot be pressed together in a simple manner in the rolling contact bearing space and therefore require two separate assembly steps. It is further costly, owing to the complex shapings, to produce such sealing rings from rolling contact bearing steel or to integrate the sealing rings in the rolling contact bearing rings. Therefore, component integration in order to reduce the great variety of components in radial bearings is not possible.
DE 103 58 876 A1 discloses a sealing arrangement for wheel bearings, which is arranged by means of two sealing rings in an axial opening between the two components of the wheel bearing that can be rotated relative to each other and which axially seals the wheel bearing. To this end, the two sealing rings form a gap labyrinth, which has a catch groove with an axially opening and radially extending sealing gap.